Therapists Dive into Pressure Care Mattress Prescription at Unicare Health's Clinical Workshop
Workshop: From Pressure to Prescription
– Unlocking the Potential of the Mattress
Friday 20 June 2025
Technology Park Function Centre, Bentley
When a mobile client starts to show signs of immobility, their risk of pressure injuries can increase rapidly. At Unicare Health's recent Pressure Care Mattress Workshop, we addressed crucial steps therapists must take in such scenarios, as well as what sort of technology is available on the market to help.
The Unicare Health team were delighted to welcome an enthusiastic group of therapists to this session designed to deepen understanding of pressure care mattress technology, and how to use that knowledge to optimise pressure care, comfort, and quality of life.
This workshop was led by Unicare Health’s Focused Educator on Sleep Support Surfaces and Occupational Therapist, Ilissa Liew. Ilissa brings 15 years of industry experience to her role as Focused Educator and strives to empower clinicians with the skills to optimise pressure care solutions through sleep support surface technology education.
The optimal prescription can feel like a balancing act, and doesn’t just come down to what the “best” piece of equipment is. Client preferences must be considered, as well as what the equipment is used for in day-to-day activities. This is often referred to as the Human Activity Assistive Technology (HAAT) Model.
Considering the Human element of prescription, factors such as your client’s diagnosis, body shape, bed mobility, pain and pressure injury status & risk should be evaluated as part of the decision-making process.
We must then consider what features we need from the pressure care mattress. Do we require battery backup? What’s the safe working load of the mattress? What treatment modes are available? There are multiple questions that must be asked to narrow down a suitable sleep surface.
Finally, we must look at what activities the equipment must facilitate. Each client will have different needs to be met, and activities outside of sleep and rest must be considered. Does your client use their sleep surface for therapy or treatments? Do they eat in bed? If certain activities are part of your client’s daily routine, it is imperative that it is considered in the prescription process.
Taking all these factors into consideration, we must put it in context. What equipment has already been prescribed? Do they reside at home or in a residential facility? Do they have a partner or family? Do they need to travel?
We understand this can feel overwhelming to consider all these factors, which is why we believe in empowering therapists with knowledge on our extensive mattress range.
Unicare is the proud sole supplier of Care of Sweden mattresses in Western Australia, carrying a range that accommodates a wide range of these considerations.
The Optimal 5zon mattress is one of our foam pressure care mattresses, and is used in the prevention and treatment of up to and including stage 2 pressure injuries. This mattress contains two layers of foam that slide against each other when profiled, making it an excellent choice for shear force minimization.
The CuroCell® AREA Zone is a static air pressure care mattress, containing 9 air cells encompassed by memory foam, and is suitable for the treatment of pressure injuries up to and including stage 3.
For clients requiring powered air mattresses, therapists used to hear complaints about the noise, feeling cold, and motion sickness.
Air mattress technology has come a long way, and we now have access to pumps with AI function, enabling adaptive surface adjustments, reducing human error through automation.
A new function developed by Care of Sweden, called Pulsating Mode™, is designed to better combat cell damage, all with gentle movements that are less disruptive to users’ sleep and have less chance of inducing motion sickness.
Moreover, features like “Air Flow Control™” recycle the mattress air. This reduces noise and vibration, as well preventing uncomfortably cold mattress surfaces.
With air mattresses like the CuroCell® CX15, CX20 and Cirrus available with these technologies, we’re ready to meet a variety of client considerations.
We understand the comfort of a mattress is personal. That’s why at Unicare we offer Free 3-day In-Home Trials, allowing your client to explore functionality, ease of use and fit within their own home. These free trials give you the chance to ensure compatibility and clinical benefits with no obligation.
We’d like to thank the therapists who joined us for a day of exploring the latest in pressure care mattress technology. We trust that you’ve walked away with confidence and trust in the comprehensive range supplied at Unicare Health.
If you are interested in future clinical education opportunities at Unicare Health, keep an eye on our Events for Clinicians page, where we’ll be displaying our upcoming training events.
Seeking training on the clinical benefits of pressure care mattresses for you and your team? Unicare Health provides toolbox sessions that can be tailored to your learning goals. Browse our sessions on our Book a Trainer page to find what’s right for you.
